<p>External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday greeted his Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, China's Qin Gang and other foreign ministers with a namaste on their arrival at the venue of the India-hosted conclave of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).</p>.<p>Though the two-day SCO Council of Foreign Ministers' meeting began at the Taj Exotica Resort here on Thursday evening with a reception hosted by Jaishankar, the main deliberations took place on Friday.</p>.<p>The external affairs minister greeted each visiting foreign minister with a namaste and there was no handshake.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/no-jaishankar-bilawal-meeting-scheduled-india-to-call-for-action-against-sponsors-of-terrorism-in-sco-meet-1215699.html" target="_blank">No Jaishankar-Bilawal meeting scheduled, India to call for action against sponsors of terrorism in SCO meet</a></strong></p>.<p>At Thursday evening's reception, Jaishankar shook hands with his Pakistani counterpart like he did with others, according to a few people who are part of Bhtutto-Zardari's entourage.</p>.<p>Bhutto-Zardari landed in Goa on Thursday, becoming the first Pakistani foreign minister to visit India in almost 12 years.</p>.<p>In 2011, Pakistan's then foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar visited India and held talks with her then counterpart SM Krishna.</p>.<p>India hosted the SCO foreign ministers' conclave in its capacity as the current chair of the grouping.</p>.<p>The SCO is an influential economic and security bloc and has emerged as one of the largest trans-regional international organisations.</p>.<p>The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan became its permanent members in 2017.</p>.<p>India was made an observer at the SCO in 2005 and has generally participated in the ministerial-level meetings of the grouping, which focus mainly on security and economic cooperation in the Eurasian region.</p>.<p>India has shown a keen interest in deepening its security-related cooperation with the SCO and its Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS), which specifically deals with issues relating to security and defence.</p>
<p>External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday greeted his Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, China's Qin Gang and other foreign ministers with a namaste on their arrival at the venue of the India-hosted conclave of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).</p>.<p>Though the two-day SCO Council of Foreign Ministers' meeting began at the Taj Exotica Resort here on Thursday evening with a reception hosted by Jaishankar, the main deliberations took place on Friday.</p>.<p>The external affairs minister greeted each visiting foreign minister with a namaste and there was no handshake.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/no-jaishankar-bilawal-meeting-scheduled-india-to-call-for-action-against-sponsors-of-terrorism-in-sco-meet-1215699.html" target="_blank">No Jaishankar-Bilawal meeting scheduled, India to call for action against sponsors of terrorism in SCO meet</a></strong></p>.<p>At Thursday evening's reception, Jaishankar shook hands with his Pakistani counterpart like he did with others, according to a few people who are part of Bhtutto-Zardari's entourage.</p>.<p>Bhutto-Zardari landed in Goa on Thursday, becoming the first Pakistani foreign minister to visit India in almost 12 years.</p>.<p>In 2011, Pakistan's then foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar visited India and held talks with her then counterpart SM Krishna.</p>.<p>India hosted the SCO foreign ministers' conclave in its capacity as the current chair of the grouping.</p>.<p>The SCO is an influential economic and security bloc and has emerged as one of the largest trans-regional international organisations.</p>.<p>The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan became its permanent members in 2017.</p>.<p>India was made an observer at the SCO in 2005 and has generally participated in the ministerial-level meetings of the grouping, which focus mainly on security and economic cooperation in the Eurasian region.</p>.<p>India has shown a keen interest in deepening its security-related cooperation with the SCO and its Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS), which specifically deals with issues relating to security and defence.</p>